Condiment shaker



Nov. 18, 1941. M. c. T. LEWIS CONDIMENT SHAKER Filed July 25, 1940 Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES; PATENT pang- CONDIMENT snaxsa mm c. 'r. W, San Francisco, Calif. Application July 25, 1940, Serial No. 347,537

4 Claims.

This invention relates to condiment shakers or dispensers and pertains particularly to improvements in tops for the same.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved condiment shaker having a pair of chambers for the dispensing from the one receptacle of dissimilar materials, in which a novel cover means is provided for selectively covering or closing dispensing holes leading from the two chambers or for closing at the same time the holes from the dispensing chambers, a novel means being employed for maintaining said cover in position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser having a cover means for two groups of dispensing apertures, as above stated, in which a novel means is employed for removably holding the cover in place upon the receptacle body, such holding means facilitating the easy and quick displacement of the cover or its application to the receptacle, as may be required.

Still another object is to provide in a dispensing receptacle, a novel means for closing openings leading to the chambers of the receptacle through which openings the chambers are filled with the condiments.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a'view in plan of the top of the receptacle embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the receptacle taken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of the top of the receptacle with the cover or cap removed.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view in bottom plan of the receptacle with the bottom cap removed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 generally designates the receptacle which is here shown as being of cylindrical form and tapering slightly from the bottom to the top. The top of the receptacle covered by the wall 2 while the opposite end of the receptacle is open, and extending longitudinally through the receptacle from the wall, 2 to the opposite open end is a. partition wall 3 which divides the receptacle into the chambers 4.

The wall or top 2 is provided with two groups of dispensing apertures which are indicated by the numeral 5, the apertures of each group opening into a chamber 4.

At the opposite or bottom end the receptacle is provided with the encircling threads'G for threaded engagement with the skirt portion I of a bottom cap 8. This bottom cap 8 holds in place the two removable semi-circular doors 9 which are disposed in side by side relation upon the bottom of the receptacle and each is provided with a bordering shoulder it which engages on the edge of the receptacle so that the two doors are securely held against turning when they have been placed in position over their respective chambers. Knobs ll carried by the doors facilitate their removal and when the base cap 8 is threaded into position, it bears against these knobs to hold the doors firmly in place.

At the top end of the receptacle there is formed in the outer surfaces of the receptacle wall just slightly below the top edge of the side wall, the encircling channel or groove i2. This cooperates with the element about to be described, which is carried by the rotary top for the receptacle, to hold such rotary top in position. The numeral l3 indicates the top for the receptacle. This top has the top wall portion it and the depending skirt portion I 5. The top portion i4 is provided with the inwardly tapering recess I6 and the skirt extends from one side of the recess around the cap to the opposite side of the recess so that when the cap is in position over the top of the receptacle, the portion of the top will be exposed through the cap top I4 and also a portion of the side wall of the receptacle will be exposed between the ends of the skirt.

The skirt portion is of suflicient height to cover or extend over the guide groove or channel I: and it is provided with a number of spaced slots I! which are elongated and also spaced circumferentially of the skirt. These slots are spaced from the top of the cap so as to lie in the plane of the receptacle wall recess or slot I2 when the cap is in position.

Formed in the face of the skirt l5 and around the same in the line of the slots I7 is a recess l8 and lying within this recess is a split spring ring l9, the ends of which lie adjacent the ends of the skirt while intermediate its ends, the ring is provided with the inwardly bent portions 20 which may be defined as tongues, each of which extends through a slot H for engagement in the groove I2 of the receptacle wall. These tongues I2 are each formed so that there is provided a short portion 2| which conforms to the curvature of the groove l2 in which it engages, thereby providing for the establishment of a secure connection between the locking ring and the receptacle to hold the cover or cap l3 in place. The ring-lies in the groove l5 so that it will be substantially flush with the outer surface of the cap skirt, as shown.

2. A shaker receptacle, comprising a receptacle body closed at its top end and having a division wall dividing the interior into two chambers, the closed top being provided with two groups of apertures each opening into a chamber, a cap disposed over the closed end of the receptacle and having a top wall provided with a recess of a width to expose either group of apertures therethrough, said cap having a skirt portion extending down over the side wall of the receptacle, the said side wall of the receptacle having an encircling channel formed therein said cap skirt portion'having a plurality of ap- With the construction described, it will" be readily apparent that the spring ring 1'9 may becarried at all times by the cap and that when the cap is to be placed upon the receptacle, it i only necessary to force it down so as to slide the tongues of the ring across the surface"of"'th e receptacle until they reach the groove l2 into j which they will enter and by their engagement in the groove will holdthe cap securely against accidental removal but will permit the cap to be Since the I turned on the top of the receptacle. contact between the inner surface of the top H of the cap and. the top wall 2 of the receptacle is fairly tight, it will be apparent that no maertures formed therethrough, and a resilient spring-extending around the skirt portion and having impressed tongue portions each extending through an aperture and slidably engaging in the channel'in the wall of the receptacle.

3. A shaker receptacle, comprising a receptacle body closed at its top end and having a dijfvisio'n wall dividing the. interior into two cham- -,bers. the closed top being provided with two groups ofapertures each opening into a chamber, a cap disposed over the closed end of the ereceptacle and havinga top wall provided with a recess of a width to expose either group of apertures therethrough, said cap having a skirt terial can escape through the apertures 5 when between. the groups of apertures.

When the cap is tobe removed, it will be readily seen that this maybe easily eflected by engaging the fingers or a finger nail under an end of the split ring and springing the same outwardly so as to enlarge thering and remove the I tongues from engagement with thechannel l2. The cap may then be easily taken'ofi.

When material from one of. the chambers is to be dispensed, then the cap may be rotated until the. open area I6 exposes the desired group of apertures, thus allowing for the dispensing of size equal to the area covered by said group, the v said side wall of the receptacle having an encircling channel formed therein, said skirt portion having a series 'of apertures therethrough opening into said channel, and a split resilient ring carried by and encircling the skirt portion of the cap and having inwardly extending portions extending through said skirt apertures and slidably engaging in the channelin the receptathe cap'is in position where the recess "5 lies portion extending down over the side wall of the receptacle, the said side wall of the receptacle having an encircling channel formed therein, said skirt portion having a groove formed thereabout in theouter surface thereof and a plurality of apertures formed therethrough and in the line of said groove, and a split ring of resilient -material encircling the skirt portion of the cap and lying in said groove and having its ends at the ends of the skirt portion which is divided transversely at the recess, said ring having inwardly extending tongue portions each extending through a slot for engagement in the receptacle wall channel, the inner part of each tongue being curved to conform to the curvature of the channel. a

4. A shaker receptacle, comprising a receptacle body having a top, ,a-jcap disposed over the top of the receptacle and having atop coveringthe .first top and a skirt portion extending down over the sidewall of the receptacle, one of'said tops having a group of apertures 'therethrough and the other top having a single aperture of a size equal tothe' area covered by said group, the said side wall of the receptacle having an encircling channel formed therein, and a split resilient ring carried byand encircling the skirt portion of the cap and having inwardly extending portions passing through openings in said skirt portion ,and engaging in the channel for slidably coucle wall to maintain the cap in rotatable connection therewith to facilitate bringing the single aperture and the group of apertures into register.

pling the skirt portion with the side Wall to facilitate rotation of the cap and the bringing of the single aperture and the group of apertures into register.

MILES C. T. LEWIS. 

